Josephine Lang (1815-1880) came from a musical family in Munich and her musical talent developed very early. She composed her first songs at age 13 and has about 150 Lieder to her credit, many of which were published by major publishing houses during her lifetime. Her songs are full-on Romantic, with incredible melodies and often a wide range required of the singer with a somewhat operatic sweep.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Troy Cook, baritone, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
All of these songs are found in Josephine Lang: Selected Songs. Hildegard Publishing also has published two volumes of her songs.
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
"Exactly" counter--Ellen 3 (19), Toni 1 (3)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
You can find out more about Troy Cook on his website, https://www.troycookbaritone.com/
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Apply for the 100% free 2026 Fellowship of the Song by November 2!
Emilie Zumsteeg's (1796-1857) father was a composer and her mother owned a music store, so her natural abilities were encouraged early. She made a living teaching voice and piano, and was a well-known composer in her time, with at least 60 Lieder, which were considered innovative by her contemporaries.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
"Exactly" counter--Ellen 5 (16), Toni 0 (2)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Apply for the 100% free 2026 Fellowship of the Song by November 2!
Louise Reichardt (1779-1826) came from a musical family in Berlin, and grew up to be a composer and choral conductor, establishing a choral society in Hamburg, Germany. Her Italian songs have a bel canto feel to them, and her German Lieder tend more toward folk melodies. Her mother Juliane was also a composer; some of her songs are available on IMSLP and more can be sourced through inter-library loan.
Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
There are also pieces by Louise Reichardt in 24 Italian Songs and Arias by Women Composers and Joys Abiding: Soprano and Baritone Duets by Historical Women Composers.
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
"Exactly" counter--Ellen 2 (11), Toni 0 (2)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Apply for the 100% free 2026 Fellowship of the Song by November 2!
Anna Amalia (1739-1807) was a German princess who became Duchess of Saxe-Weimar upon her marriage. Also a composer, her love of the arts made her court a cultural center and ushered in the era of Weimar Classicism.
Corona Schröter (1751-1802) was a singer in the court of Anna Amalia, brought there by her close friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe! Much of her compositional output has been lost, but two volumes of her songs were published.
Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Troy Cook, baritone, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
All of the scores for today can be found in these two volumes.
Anna Amalia:
Schubert:
Schröter:
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
Exactly counter--Ellen 2 (9), Toni 0 (2)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
You can find out more about Troy Cook on his website, https://www.troycookbaritone.com/
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Apply for the 100% free 2026 Fellowship of the Song by November 2!
Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729) was a child prodigy from a huge family of musicians and instrument makers on both sides of her family tree. She composed three volumes of cantatas, several of which use Biblical women as their subjects - most of these cantatas are intended for a single singer along with continuo.
Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
"Exactly" Counter - Ellen 3 (7), Toni 1 (2)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) was a prolific composer of secular chamber music, publishing eight volumes of her works, more than most men of her time period. She composed almost exclusively for voice and continuo, with just one volume including works with ensembles, and she never composed nor sang opera.
Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Andrew Schucker, countertenor, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
"Exactly" Counter - Ellen 1 (3), Toni 0 (1)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
Andrew Schucker is a student of Toni Marie Palmertree.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Coming up on September 6, it's CSI's Season 10 Mainstage opening concert, Grown from a Miracle. Join as a live studio audience member in Cincinnati, or stream, 7:00-8:15pm Eastern Time, from anywhere on 90.9 WGUC.
Francesca Caccini (1587-1640) came from a very important musical family, studying music with her father alongside her brother and sister. A noted singer and voice teacher as well, Francesca spent much of her musical career working in the Medici court. She composed the first extant opera by a woman and the first Italian opera that was performed outside of Italy.
Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.
Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Troy Cook, baritone, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Primo libro delle musiche a una e due voci
You can also find music by Francesca's sister Settimia in the 24 Italian Songs & Arias by Women Composers.
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
"Exactly" Counter--Ellen 2, Toni 1
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
You can find out more about Troy Cook on his website, https://www.troycookbaritone.com/
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Coming up on September 6, it's CSI's Season 10 Mainstage opening concert, Grown from a Miracle. Join as a live studio audience member in Cincinnati, or stream, 7:00-8:15pm Eastern Time, from anywhere on 90.9 WGUC.
The So Lit Song Lit academy is back in session - Season 4 drops starting August 19th! This season, Toni Marie and Ellen focus on women composers from the 16th century through the 1990s. Make sure to subscribe and tell all your friends, colleagues, and students, you won't want to miss this season!
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
In the final episode of Season 3, our guest Dr. Zuly Inirio of the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project shows us some fabulous songs by Afro-Latin composers that she uses in her concerts entitled ¡Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music!
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Zuly Inirio, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Modesta Bor: "Guitarra" Tríptico sobra poesía Cubana
Errollyn Wallen: "My feet may take a little while"
Antonio Carlos Gomes: "Suspiro d’alma"
Xavier Montsalvatge: "Cuba dentro de un piano" Cinco canciones negras
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
So Lit Song Lit will be back in August with Season 4, with a whole season of women composers! Until then, make sure to check out CSI's other podcasts, Follow the Lieder and Song Cycle.
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
B.E. Boykin is a graduate of Spelman college, Westminster College, and holds a doctorate from Georgia State University. In addition to Moments in Sonder, she has an extensive catalog of choral works as well. Her music is sold through Graphite Publishing.
M. Roger Holland II has been a guest on several episodes of So Lit this season, so we couldn't leave him out of the musical line-up! Make sure to check out the episodes on William Grant Still and Margaret Bonds to hear him discuss composing and poetry with us. His music is sold through GIA music.
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Aliyah Quill, soprano, Rachel Boll, cello, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Boykin--Moments in Sonder (published through Klavia Press) (sung by Aliyah)
Holland--Three Spirituals (sung by Toni)
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
Season 3 Episode 20 will drop on May 27, 2025.
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
Aliyah Quill is a student of Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
This episode was inspired by the program of a colleague that was posted on Facebook! Both Carlos Simon and Dave Ragland are modern composers working with some of the most important companies and singers of our time, creating all kinds of new works that are powerful, accessible to audiences, and absolute gems of the repertoire.
Posting a quote here from Carlos in an interview with Good Faith Media a few months ago:
"We’ve always been here, but there’s been in classical music, there has been such a large spark of new commissioning, new music that has come about, yeah. I think people just want to hear new music, and it’s all really just happening here in America. Talking to my colleagues in Europe, they’re kind of stuck in the old way of Beethoven and Bach, which is great. But to really push the envelope and push the medium forward, that comes with funding, which we are seeing. So that is another thing I’m hopeful about."
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
For more information on Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, visit his website.
Solomon Onyukwu is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
This episode offers a taste of a few different songs from the anthologies that we've been talking about all season, all of which would be a great addition to everyone's library. Those anthologies are:
An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs
Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers
A New Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers
The Second Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers
Musical clips featured on this episode, performed by Solomon Onyukwu, baritone, Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
Solomon Onyukwu is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
This episode is an eclectic mixture of pieces and composers, starting with two song cycles by Dorothy Rudd Moore! Born and raised on the East Coast, she studied with Nadia Boulanger, and was one of the co-founders of the Society of Black Composers. Her music has enough dissonance to bring out the colors of the texts beautifully, while still being very accessible to an audience. Jonathan Bailey Holland is currently the Dean of Music at Northwestern University, and has some stunningly beautiful pieces - he was a student of Ned Rorem.
We also included both settings of I Want to Die While You Love Me that we have talked about this season so that you can hear them back-to-back and see how different the two settings are, while both are excellent settings! The songs are in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs and appear in the book back-to-back as well!
Dorothy Rudd Moore
Flowers of Darkness
1. Flowers of Darkness (sung by Aliyah)
Sonnets on Love, Rosebuds, and Death (vocal chamber music, soprano, violin, piano)
6. Idolatry (sung by Gracyn)
Jonathan Bailey Holland
Little Elegy (in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs) (sung by Solomon)
Undine Smith Moore
I Want to Die While You Love Me (in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs) (sung by Gracyn)
Rosephanye Powell
I Want to Die While You Love Me (in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs) (sung by Gracyn)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
For more information on Gracyn Blu, visit their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @gracynblu
Aliyah Quill and Solomon Onyukwu are students/graduates of Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
On this episode we focus on some songs of Rosephanye Powell and Betty Jackson King, both amazing women with some fabulous songs to their credit. All of these songs are sure to be accessible and exciting to audiences, while offering enough challenge to performers to make their songs worth digging into!
Our guest today is Dr. Sonya Baker, Professor of Voice at James Madison University. Sonya performs a lecture recital based on Marian Anderson's 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and helped curate a new song literature curriculum for NATS that can be downloaded from the NATS website, called Expanding the Canon.
Rosephanye Powell
Miss Wheatley's Garden (sung by Gracyn)
Langston Dreams (sung by Aliyah)
Then, Here, and Now (sung by Donovan)
Betty Jackson King (sung by Toni)
these songs are in A New Anthology of Art Song by African Composers
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA, and Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
To compare Rosephanye Powell's setting of "I Want To Die While You Love Me" with the one from Undine Smith Moore, check out Episode 6 of this season!
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
For more information on Gracyn Blu, visit their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @gracynblu
You can follow Donovan Elliot Smith on his YouTube page.
Aliyah Quill is currently a senior at Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Adolphus Hailstork is an active, award-winning composer with a great output of art songs - and he's another name in our growing list of fabulous composers who studied with Nadia Boulanger! His works blend African, American, and European musical traditions in a unique way that is satisfying to both performers and audiences. We also have personal stories about Hailstork today from countertenor Darryl Taylor of the African American Art Song Alliance and baritone Kenneth Overton.
The exciting news from the episode intro: you can order Tyson Deaton's new anthology Songs of Joseph Bologne de Saint-Georges Vol 3 from Classical Vocal Reprints! We discussed that with him on Season 1 Episode. Additionally, soprano Karen Slack (also a CSI Digital family member with #KikiKonversations!) has published the works of Florence Price on her album Grammy Award-winning Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price. The scores can be purchased from ONEcomposer.
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Gracyn Blu, mezzo-soprano, Donovan Elliot Smith, tenor, Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA, the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA, and The Church Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
Check out Darryl Taylor and Brent McMunn performing Yet Do I Marvel by Adolphus Hailstork!
Be sure to check out Kenneth Overton and Casey Robards' new CD What Dreams We Have: The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar, which includes some pieces by Hailstork!
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
For more information on Gracyn Blu, visit their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @gracynblu
You can follow Donovan Elliot Smith on his YouTube page.
For more information on Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, visit his website.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Robert Owens (1925-2017) funded his musical studies in Europe on the GI bill after serving in the military. He lived most of his adult life in Germany and in addition to composing, he was also a much-sought-after actor! All of his scores are available at Classical Vocal Reprints, and he has lots of songs in English, French, and German to choose from.
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Hanna Atsedewoin, soprano, Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:
Op 14 Heart On The Wall (sung by Hanna)
Op 101 Rimbaud Cabaret (sung by Ricky)
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA, and The Church Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
Listen to the orchestrated version of Heart On The Wall: Havanna Dreams sung by Louise Toppin with the Dvořak Symphony Orchestra.
Listen to the complete Rimbaud-Cabaret sung by Darryl Taylor with Maria Thompson Corley on piano.
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
You can follow Hanna Atsedewoin on Instagram @hanna_atse
For more information on Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, visit his website.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Valerie Capers (b. 1935) was Juilliard's first blind student pianist, earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees there, and at the encouragement of her brother has gone on to become a noted jazz pianist (if you want to hear her play, check out this YouTube video). Song of the Seasons is her only song cycle, and it definitely should be in the standard repertoire! She also composed an operatorio based on the life of Sojourner Truth.
Our special guest today is Dr. Louise Toppin, a coloratura soprano who has sung all over the world, who teaches at University of Michigan, and who also runs Videmus, a non-profit arts organisation that produces concerts and recordings.
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Aliyah Quill, soprano, Rachel Boll, cello, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
The African American Art Song Alliance has the complete recording of Anita Johnson singing Song of the Seasons with Timothy Holley on cello and Susan Gray on piano, the recording that Louise mentioned at the start of the episode!
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
Aliyah Quill and Rachel Boll are students of Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
John D. Carter's Cantata was premiered in 1959 by Leontyne Price and David Garvey. A great pianist in his own right, Carter's song cycle is challenging for the pianist as well as the singer, with rhythmic displacements and dissonances that bring the melodies of the spirituals he chose into the classical realm. Our guest today, Dr. Casey Robards, earned her doctorate with a dissertation on John D. Carter. Be sure to check out Casey Robards' new CD with Kenneth Overton: What Dreams We Have: The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar!
We also talk about Cecil Cohen, a pianist and composer who led a fascinating life including fighting on the front lines in WWI and performing his own music for the Roosevelts. He spent 30 years on the faculty of Howard University teaching piano, and has few extent songs, but this one is a powerhouse.
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Solomon Onyukwu, baritone, Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist (click on the titles for purchase information):
Cecil Cohen, from The Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
Solomon Onyukwu is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
H. Leslie Adams (1932-2024) is best-known for his vocal compositions, with a large output of art songs and song cycles to choose from, and his works have been performed all over the world. His music is accessible to audiences and performers alike, and our guest today, countertenor Darryl Taylor, of the African American Art Song Alliance, offers amazing insight into Leslie as a person and a composer, as well as shows us the deeper meaning in the songs we discuss.
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, Donovan Elliot Smith, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:
Five Millay Songs (click on the titles for purchase information)
Collected Songs (several of the songs come in more than one key in this volume!)
Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA, the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA, and The Church Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
Darryl Taylor has recorded all of these songs as well:
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
For more information on Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, visit his website.
You can follow Donovan Elliot Smith on his YouTube page.
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.
Margaret Bonds (1913-1972) is probably best known for her setting of "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands", but has an extensive repertoire of art songs, which have a lot more crunch than most people expect!
Our special guest hosts today are baritone Lester Lynch, who balances his international career with teaching at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and composer M. Roger Holland II, from the University of Denver, who runs The Spirituals Project and composed Ubuntu: I Am Because You Are, premiered by Kantorei (as soon as there is a clip, we will add this to the show notes!).
Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Gracyn Blu Louis, mezzo-soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:
from Six Songs on Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay
You can also find more of Bonds' songs in the anthology Rediscovering Margaret Bonds.
Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at https://cincysong.transistor.fm/.
You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.
You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree
For more information on Gracyn Blu Louis, visit their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @gracynblu
This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.